Chapter 14 - 013 Water Well Incident
Meng Shuyan took off his pajamas. The little guy, clearly not very adept, got stuck when the clothes bunched up around his neck. He let out a few soft grunts, and his soft little body toppled backward.
Her usually composed son had such an amusing side to him. Tian Sangsang couldn't help but chuckle as she held his hands and said softly, "Let me do it."
She gently freed his fluffy little head from the collar of the clothes. Then, grabbing the fresh set of clothes nearby, she started to dress him. Meng Shuyan's head hung low, his tender, fair little face flushed red. In a quiet, small voice, he said, "Mommy, I can do it myself."
Oh~~~ he's embarrassed now. Tian Sangsang, full of mischief, thought to herself how incredibly adorable her son looked at that moment. She kissed him on the cheek and said, "It's okay, Mommy will help you~"
As she dressed him in the summer clothes, Meng Shuyan would sneak glances at her from time to time. Tian Sangsang pretended not to notice and focused earnestly on getting him dressed. But the clothes... they felt awful. The fabric was rough to the touch. For someone used to better clothing, Tian Sangsang could only sigh as she looked at the gray little t-shirt and shorts worn by her son's tiny frame. The clothes were patched up at the knees, making him look like a complete mishmash, and it broke her heart to see him like this.
Once she finished dressing him, Tian Sangsang went to the bathroom. The toilet was still just a small chamber pot indoors. Pulling up her pants afterward, she couldn't help but feel a bit out of sorts. But still, it was better than the outdoor pit toilets with two bricks and a hole in the ground.
When washing her face, there was no cleansing cream or facial wash. When brushing her teeth, she used a willow twig dipped in a bit of salt. No one had yet told Meng Shuyan that he needed to brush his teeth, but even so, his little teeth were gleaming white. Basic habits started early, she figured, so Tian Sangsang decided to teach him now, planning to encourage him to develop a daily brushing routine. Teeth reflect a person's image, she thought. Growing up in the countryside herself, she hadn't brushed her teeth until she was seven or eight years old, and by then, her teeth were already in bad shape. Thankfully, she at least went through the phase of losing her baby teeth and growing new ones.
She took every last grain of rice from the bottom of the rice jar to make porridge. Now the jar was completely empty—meals were becoming scarce. Luckily, there were still two chickens left in the yard. Unless absolutely necessary, Tian Sangsang wouldn't consider killing them. She planned to save them, hoping they could lay eggs, and then the eggs could hatch into more chickens. Hopefully, this chicken-and-egg cycle would go on forever...
Looking up, she noticed her son running toward her with his tiny legs as she carried a gray bucket out the door. "Mommy," Meng Shuyan called out, his eyes filled with panic and fear.